Earthshaking Competition
by capm
Summary: Alex is participating in the OTW Games as a Street Luge racer! Clover and Sam join her for support and a vacation wrapped in one. But a natural disaster triggered by a manmade device pulls the spies away...
1. Chapter 1 Initial Rumble

**Chapter 1 – Initial Rumble!**

The story opens in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia. There is the usual hustle and bustle, as people go about their business.

All of the sudden the scene is interrupted by a severe shaking.

"Earthquake!" people cry.

"This isn't California! We don't get earthquakes here!" says one citizen to another.

"We do now!"

The shaking lasts for about one minute. The damage is noticeable, but not catastrophic. People are dazed and confused.

It's a beautiful day in San Francisco. Alex is here to compete in the Street Luge for the Out of This World Games (OTW Games). Sam and Clover have come along for a vacation and moral support, during their summer break from school.

"There are some pretty steep hills here in San Francisco! I hope I'm good enough to do well in the OTW Games!" exclaims Alex.

"Alex, you'll do fine!" says Sam encouragingly. "You've beaten everyone, including David, at the Regionals. Your good enough!"

Clover adds, "Besides, OTW Games attract a ton of cute boys, as participants and spectators!" as she eyes a few contestants as well as spectators.

Alex is getting ready for the first heat of the race. She is number 5, and will start in the middle of this 8 person race. She is the only female in the race and is taking a lot of flack as she goes to her starting position..

"Hey, chick-a-dee! The spectator's section is on the sidelines!" says Cal, the racer in position 1.

"Don't expect any favors out there!" warns Pesto, the racer in position 7. A number of other guys voice their agreement. Alex is starting to feel a little intimidated.

"Don't listen to them, Alex! They're trying to psych you out!" says Clover.

"That's right, Alex! They're afraid their egos couldn't take losing to a woman! You definitely can beat them!!" encourages Sam.

With her two friends providing the emotional support, Alex is no longer intimidated. "Yeah, girlfriends! I've beaten guys before!" She then says to no one in particular, but aiming the comments at the other racers, "Let's get this race started!"

All the racers get into their starting positions. Alex confidently takes her spot as the flag goes down to start the race.

They're off! Coming off the line, Alex has made a nice move and is in third place, behind Pesto, and Cal, but ahead of the rest. Coming into the first turn, Pesto tries to force Alex off the course, but she deftly swings around him and takes over second place! She is gaining on Cal, as they come to turn two. Cal tries to crowd Alex down low, but she once again swings to the high side and is now neck and neck with Cal going into turn three! In turn three it is Alex who takes the low line, and Cal is forced high as he falls to second place. Alex has a small lead going into the fourth and final turn. She again takes the low, fast line and emerges a good two lengths ahead of Cal. She ends up winning the heat by three lengths of a luge! The top two contestants in each heat make it to the finals on Friday. Alex is one of them!

"You won! You won!" cries Sam as she hugs Alex.

"You did it, Alex!" cries Clover as she also hugs Alex.

"Thanks, guys! I'm in the Finals Race!" says Alex, happily.

"Don't expect me to take it so easy on you the next time, babe!" says Cal disgustedly.

"Take it easy on her? As if!" says Clover.

"Yeah, we could tell all you guys were holding back out there when each one of you tried to force her off the course!" says Sam.

"Come on, Alex! Let's celebrate your making the Finals!" says Clover happily.

"Right on, Clover!" says Sam. The gals start to go to their hotel, chatting happily.

When they open the walk-in closet in their hotel room, they are WOOHP'd!

"Isn't there ANYPLACE we can be safe from a WOOHPing?" asks Clover, as the gals go flying down the access shaft.

"I'm beginning to think WOOHP really is one big ant colony!" says Sam.

The gals land on their circular landing cushion.

"Hello, ladies! Dressed for success?" says Jerry with a sly smile.

The gals let out a collective groan.

"What's up, Jerry?", asks Sam.

"A very disturbing phenomena. The city of Wheeling, West Virginia experienced an earthquake today for about one minute!" Jerry plays the video footage.

"Earthquake? In West Virginia?" says Alex in disbelief.

"Yes, Alex," responds Jerry. "You see West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee are close to two tectonic plates! Back in the mid-1800's, a severe earthquake in the area actually changed the course of the Ohio River to what it is today. It was so severe, it rang church bells in New England!"

"Frrreaaakky!" says Clover.

"What is more disturbing is that the quakes appear to be man made!" continues Jerry.

"Who would want to cause earthquakes?" asks Alex.

"That's what you are about to find out! You should go to the fault line in Tennessee and talk to Dr. Terran, an earthquake expert. He can fill you in on the details. To help on this mission you'll need the RATVAT, bungee belts, laser lipsticks (now in wild cherry), drill-suction-jet go-go boots, binocular-analyzer sunglasses, x-ray m-ray contact lenses, barrette listening devices, truth spray, and jet pack backpacks

"You'll travel via your jet/copter! The RATVAT is already on board! Good luck, Spies!"

With that, the girls are off. "Whoooooaaaaaa!!!!"


	2. Chapter 2 Finding Faults

**Chapter 2 – Finding Fault(s)**

The girls find their way to Tennessee to meet Dr. Terran.

"What do we know about this Dr. Terran, Sam?" asks Clover.

"According to the WOOHP data base, he is an expert on plate tectonics. He does his research out of the Pike's Institute in Alaska!"

"Why would an earthquake researcher want to be based in Alaska?" bemuses Alex.

"Interesting question, Alex. It would seem like he'd get more info if he were based in California!" replies Sam.

Soon the spies land their jet/copter outside of the field lab of Dr. Terran.

"I wonder where the good Doctor is?" asks Alex.

"Well, if he's not around, this seems like a good time to do some spying!" says Sam.

The gals quickly enter the field lab.

"This doesn't look good," says Clover.

The field lab is one big mess. It appears there has been a struggle, afterwards someone was ransacking the place looking for something. The girls investigate the lab.

"I don't see anything important!" says Clover, as she leans against a book in a bookcase. This triggers the opening of a hidden compartment in the floor.

"Great job, Clover!" congratulates Alex. "What's in the compartment Sammy?"

Sam pulls out a notebook. "This is Dr. Terran's notes on what he's found! Listen to this entry! 'Found the chemical signature of dynamite at fissure point zero. That's what must have been used to trigger the quake! Also found part of the dynamite box. Estimate that 250 pounds of dynamite were used to trigger the quake. Must get box part analyzed – could be clue.'" Turning a few more pages, Sam reads, "' They are wise to me! They want to find out what I know! I must hide this journal. I hear them coming....'"

"What else does it say, Sammy?" asks Alex.

"That's it! I wonder who 'they' are? And what became of the dynamite box part?" says Sam.

As Clover starts checking the compartment, she feels a wooden item. "Hey, guys! I think that dynamite box fragment might be right here!" She pulls out a splinter from the compartment.

"Let's scan it and see what it tells us," says Sam.

Sam runs the scan.

"This splinter has a high concentration of dynamite on it!" Sam says.

"That must have been the piece Dr. Terran wanted analyzed!" says Alex.

"There appears to be some writing on it as well, but I can't make it out! I'm going to call Jerry!

"Jerry?"

"Yes, Sam. How is the mission going?"

Clover says, "It looks like Dr. Terran was kidnapped! We never got to talk to him!"

"Oh, my!"

Sam says, "But we do have this wooden splinter with some writing on it. The writing is obscured by charring! Hopefully WOOHP can give us some information on it."

"We'll get on it right away, Sam! Keep checking the area for clues. I'll get back to you as soon as I have something."

"Thanks, Jerry!" and she hangs up.

"Ok, girls! Let's spread out and see what we can find. Keep in touch by compowder."

The girls spread out all over the field lab sight.

Alex is searching the vehicles area. "Nothing out of the ordinary here!" she says.

Sam is searching the field lab. "I hope the girls are having more luck than I am!" she says sadly. All she has found is the GPS coordinates for the quake.

Clover is searching the grounds outside and immediately around the field lab. "Nothing! No footprints! No nothing!" she says dejectedly.

All three girls return to their jet/copter.

"Did you find anything?" asks Sam.

"Nothing!" says Clover.

"Not even an oil spot!" says Alex.

"I guess we'll have to employ the RATVAT and go to the coordinates of the quake!" says Sam.

"Is that going to be safe?" asks Alex anxiously.

"Well, the doctor made it there and back safely. So should we!" says Sam.

"Ok, Sam! I've plotted the coordinates into the RATVAT's autopilot. We're ready to go!" says Clover.

The RATVAT starts to tunnel toward the earthquake epicenter. The girls are searching the area for anything unusual. Soon they arrive at the epicenter – a small cave.

"Say guys? There appears to be another tunnel over there!" says Alex.

Immediately, Clover and Sam look in the direction Alex is pointing.

"Let's see what these binocular sunglasses show, along with the contacts," says Clover.

"Well, Clover?" asks Sam.

"It most definitely is another tunnel. But it goes off in a direction opposite of Dr. Terran's field lab!"

"That has to be the tunnel of the individuals responsible for starting the quake, and probably the kidnappers too! Let's follow it!" says Sam.

"Ok, Sammy! I'll drive!" says Alex. Clover and Sam give each other an apprehensive look, and quickly snap on their seat belts for safety!

Alex deftly maneuvers the RATVAT into the newly discovered tunnel, and follows it to the surface. The spies are constantly scanning the tunnel for clues.

Soon they reach the surface. They exit the RATVAT to investigate. The place looks spotless.

"If the individuals who planted the dynamite used this as a base camp, they were sure meticulous in cleaning up when they left!" exclaims Alex.

Sam is scanning the site with the analyzer sunglasses, "They sure did! I'm not even picking up the remains of a campfire!"

Clover has been walking the fringe of the clearing to see if there were any clues. "There's nothing in the trees, bushes, or flowers! Talk about neat! It's like they had a maid clean up the site after them!"

Just then, Sam's compowder rings. "What's up, Jerry?"

"Any new info?"

"Well, Jerry, we followed another tunnel that led away from the epicenter of the quake, but whoever planted the dynamite meticulously cleaned their staging area! We can't even find a strand of hair!"

"Hmmm! I see. The perpetrators must be using extreme caution. By the way, we've finished the analysis of the wood splinter you sent us. It came off a box from the Auburn Explosives Company. They are located in Pennsylvania, in the Appalachian Mountains."

"That makes sense! They're probably close to coal mining sites!"

"Exactly! I have sent their address to your compowder. It looks like the only lead right now."

"Thanks, Jerry."

Sam says to Clover and Alex, "Let's take the RATVAT back to Dr. Terran's field lab and take our jet/copter to Auburn Explosives."

"Ok, Sammy. Clover's and your chauffeured driven limo waits without!" says Alex playfully, as she bows and points toward the RATVAT.

"Yes, Alex, but did you bring my peke, Frou-Frou?" says Clover in a playfully snooty manner.

Sam responds, "We could probably have used a Frou-Frou! We couldn't sniff out anything!"

The girls laugh and get into the RATVAT.

They are in for quite a surprise when they get to their jet/copter! It has been ransacked! The copter blades have been bent out of shape, the rotor broken off, the jet engine turbofans have all their blades broken, and inside the cockpit all dials and instruments have been smashed and broken.

"What a mess!" says Clover.

"Someone doesn't want us to leave!" says Alex.

"But maybe in their zeal to keep us here, they left us a clue!" says Sam, as she employs the analyzer sunglasses again. "BINGO! They didn't have the time to meticulously clean this area! I have found a blond hair, a black curly hair, a red hair, and a black straight hair!"

"Let's analyze them on the compowder!" says Clover.

They do the blond hair first. "Oh, well! Nothing here! It's yours, Clover!"

Clover says with alarm, "Oh, am I losing my hair?"

"Relax. It probably fell off your hairbrush. Let's do the red hair next." Sam does the scan. "Well, another zero, that's mine! How about the black straight hair?" Again Sam does the scan. "Alex, that's yours. Only one hair left!" Sam performs the final scan. The analyzer is searching the database. The name Esteban Ocello pops up.

"Esteban Ocello? Who's he?" asks Alex.

"According to the WOOHP database he is a farmer in Madrid, Spain. What would his hair be doing in Tennessee?" asks Sam.

"Looks like we have another lead! Now if we can get some wings?" says Clover as she calls Jerry.

"Yes, Clover."

"Jerry! Someone trashed our jet/copter making it totally inoperable!"

"Oh, my!"

"But they left a clue. A certain Esteban Ocello appears to have been in on it. He's in Madrid! We need to get a plane so we can check him out, as well as Auburn Explosive."

"Very well, ladies. A hoverjet should be there momentarily. Also a WOOHP team will secure your jet/copter and RATVAT!"

"Thanks, Jer!" Clover no sooner hangs up and both the hoverjet and WOOHP team arrive. "That's what I call service!" Sam, Alex and Clover quickly board the hoverjet.

"Where to first?" asks Alex.

"Madrid! We have a suspect's home to investigate! He wouldn't have had time to return, so hopefully we can search the farm without interruption!" says Sam, and the plane leaves for Spain.


	3. Chapter 3 The Rain In Spain

**Chapter 3 - The Rain in Spain**

Soon the gals are standing outside the farmhouse of Esteban Ocello. Jerry thoughtfully put their voice jet/hover cycles on board the hoverjet, so that they wouldn't arouse suspicion by landing the hoverjet too close to the farm.

The gals saunter up to the door and knock. Soon the door opens. A young blond haired man answers. "Si? May I help you?"

Sam answers, "We are looking for Esteban Ocello."

"Si! That is I! What can I do for you?"

The girls know something is wrong. The WOOHP database clearly identified the black curly hair as belonging to Esteban Ocello. This guy is blond. Besides, Ocello wouldn't have had time to return home.

"We're from the Farm Institute! We are here for an inspection!" Clover jumps in, giving Sam and Alex a wink.

"Inspection?" says the purported Ocello weakly.

"Yes! It is a new government requirement. We choose farms at random. You are the first lucky farmer to undergo our inspection! Now, let's start with the farmhouse!"

The purported Ocello looks panicked. "Uh, can we start with the barn? The house is a bit of a mess!"

"That's ok," says Clover "we aren't here to inspect for neatness!" With that the girls brush past the purported Ocello into the farmhouse.

"We will split up, so as not to take up too much of your time!" says Sam. "Clover, you check this floor. Alex, you take the upstairs, and I'll take the basement!"

The purported Ocello says to Sam, "I better accompany you downstairs! You may hurt yourself on some of the tools lying around!"

"Ok," says Sam as she activates her barrette listening device. So do Clover and Alex, as they split up.

Sam and the fake Ocello go downstairs. She starts looking around. He seems to be trying to block her from going in a certain direction in the basement. He is trying very hard to make it seem natural.

"Well, let's see what's over here!" says Sam as she walks quickly in the direction Ocello has been trying to stop her from going. She immediately sees a door. "What have we got here?" she says.

"Oh, that's my root cellar! Nothing important there!"

"I still have to inspect it!" Sam insists, as she opens the door. She does not find a root cellar. She sees a hall leading off. As she turns to face Ocello, he sucker punches her, knocking her out! Her barrette listening device falls unnoticed to the floor, from the punch. "This should take care of you!" he says and he loads the unconscious Sam into a nearby wheelbarrow and starts to take her down the hallway.

Of course, Alex and Clover have heard everything. "Sammy? Answer me Sammy!" says Clover.

Clover says, "I can't get Sam!"

Alex responds, "Me neither! Let's get downstairs ASAP!"

Clover and Alex rush to the basement. They employ their compowder tracking devices to see where Sam is. They go straight to the door, and immediately see the barrette listening device and recover it.

"We have to keep following the compowder homing beacon to find her!" says Clover.

The gals walk down the hall. Eventually, they find themselves in the barn. They see the fake Ocello, but not Sam. He is about to start the threshing machine! As they check the machine, they see a woozy Sam right in its path!

"This will take care of one meddler!" says Ocello as he starts the machine.

"Not so fast, you phony!" says Alex as she nails him with a roundhouse kick to the head.

Clover rushes into the path of the threshing machine, grabs the woozy Sam, and jumps out of the way, just in the nick of time!

Alex has handcuffed the fake Ocello to a barn beam, and rushes over to Clover and Sam.

"Are you two all right?"

"I'm fine. Sammy, how are you?"

Sam responds, "A little woozy! And I have a splitting headache! What happened?"

Alex responds, "The fake Ocello must have hit you with something, knocking you out! He then tried to 'thresh' you!"

"Where is he?" Sam asks, as she struggles to her feet.

"Are you sure you're up to standing?" asks a concerned Clover.

"I'll be fine, but I want to talk to 'Mr. Ocello'!" Sam starts to walk toward the now woozy fake Ocello. Alex breaks out her truth spray and sprays Ocello. He is helpless to resist. Clover hits her WOOHP distress button.

"Ok! Who are you?" demands Sam.

"My name is Vitas Ocello."

"What is Esteban to you?"

"Esteban is my brother."

"What do you know about creating manmade earthquakes."

"Nothing."

"Then why did you attack me?"

"Esteban told me to guard the farm with my life. If anyone came snooping around, I was to dispose of them – or he would dispose of me!"

"Your own brother would dispose of you???" asks Clover incredulously.

"Yes. Esteban has fallen in with a group called Freedom Through Force (FTF). He does everything they tell him. He is more loyal to them than his family. He disposed of our brother Octavio when he opposed what he was doing."

The girls look at one another in disbelief.

Sam says to Vitas, "WOOHP is on the way to pick you up. You'll be safe with them!"

Then turning to the girls, Sam says, "Let's give this farm a good searching. Stay in contact via barrette listening devices."

"Sure, Sam. By the way, here is yours," says Clover.

Sam puts it on and says, "Thanks! Let's do it!"

They decide to search the barn first. Alex takes the loft, Sam is searching the perimeter, and Clover is searching inside the barn, just as WOOHP picks up Vitas.

"The loft is clear," says Alex.

"So is the perimeter," says Sam.

"Ladies! I think I found something! It looks like a trap door underneath this bale of hay!" says Clover.

"I'll be there in a sec!" says Sam.

"Me too!" says Alex.

Soon the girls are opening the trap door. Descending some stairs they find themselves in a room filled with boxes.

"Let's use the x-ray contacts to see what's in the boxes, Alex!" says Sam.

"Ok, Sammy!" Alex starts to scan the boxes. "Each box is filled with dynamite!" Alex exclaims.

"Let's see how many boxes are here!" says Clover. The girls take a quick inventory and see that there are 270 boxes. All boxes were procured from the Auburn Explosives Company. "Let's call Jerry!"

"Wait, Clover!" says Sam as she stops her from deploying her compowder. "We don't know how sensitive these things are to radio waves! Let's go back up the stairs, close the trap door, and call Jerry from outside of the barn!"

"Phew! Good idea, Sam. I never thought of that!" says Clover.

Quickly the gals make their way up the steps, re-secure the trap door, and go outside of the barn. Clover then calls Jerry.

"Yes, Clover. How's the mission going?" Jerry asks.

"Well, Jerry, Vitas Ocello sucker punched Sam knocking her out, and tried to feed her to a threshing machine!"

"Sam! Are you all right?" asks a concerned Jerry.

Sam says, "I'm all right Jerry. Still a bit of a headache, but otherwise, all right."

"Good! I am relieved to hear that."

"Jer, we found a cache of 270 boxes of dynamite, purchased from the Auburn Explosives Company. We need to find out how many were delivered to the Ocello farm," says Clover.

"Yes, Clov, let me check. ............According to the shipping manifest, 300 50-pound boxes were shipped to Ocello Farms last month."

"That leaves 30 boxes unaccounted for!"

"We can account for 5 boxes! Didn't Dr.Terran's notes cite 250 pounds were used to trigger that quake in Tennessee?" asks Alex.

"You're right, Alex! So now we have to account for the remaining 25 boxes!" says Sam.

"Jerry," continues Sam, "can you give us any information on an organization called 'Freedom Through Force'? According to Vitas, that's the organization Esteban is a member of."

"Let's see........................ 'Freedom Through Force' is a terrorist organization that appears to be headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It has cells throughout Europe and the Middle East. They are rumored to be trying to build cells here in the USA. It is a particularly blood thirsty organization that eliminates any resistance quickly."

"We guessed the later part, when Vitas told us about his brother Octavio!" says Clover.

"It looks like you should pay a clandestine visit to their Zurich headquarters!"

"Right, Jerry! We're on it!" says Sam.

"Please be extra careful, ladies! This is an organization that definitely shoots first and asks questions later!"

"We will, Jerry! We promise!" says Sam, as she hangs up.

The girls go over to their WOOHP hoverjet on their jet cycles and fly to Zurich. Once again, they deploy their jet cycles and are about to visit the headquarters for Freedom Through Force, when they receive an urgent call from Jerry.


	4. Chapter 4 Detour

**Chapter 4 - Detour**

"Ladies, we have an emergency! Another manmade quake was detonated in the Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean. It has spawned a tsunami that will hit the Philippines within the next two hours! You must evacuate all people on the beaches inland!"

"Right Jerry!" says Clover.

The gals quickly fly to the Philippines and start moving people inland. They are being assisted by all nations that can spare aircraft, and get them to the Philippines in time.

With only 5 minutes to spare, all the in-danger people of the Philippines have been successfully evacuated. The spies hover their jet facing the ocean to see the tsunami. They don't have to wait long. They can see the wave building steadily.

"Look at the size of that thing!" exclaims Alex.

"And it's still getting bigger!" adds Clover.

"I want to measure the height at the apex!" says Sam, as she deploys a measuring device within the hoverjet. The wave crests at 120 feet! A wall of water that reaches 5 miles inland, destroying everything in its path!

The girls hear their compowders – it's Jerry.

"Ladies! Did everything go well?"

"Yes, Jerry," says Alex, "all of the people were relocated 10 miles inland, and good thing too! The tsunami wiped out everything from the beach to 5 miles inland!"

"The wave must have been gigantic!" exclaims Jerry.

"It was. I measured it at 120 feet high!" says Sam.

"You might be interested to know that WOOHP labs has determined that the quake was triggered by a manmade explosion equal to 500 pounds of dynamite!"

"500 pounds, that's 10 more cases accounted for! That leaves 15!" says Clover.

"Ladies, it is imperative that you find out the next target! The fate of the world rests in your hands!"

"We're on it, Jerry!" says Sam. "We're off to Zurich and Freedom Through Force's headquarters!"

"Good luck, girls!" says Jerry as he hangs up.


	5. Chapter 5 Freedom Through Force

**Chapter 5 - Freedom Through Force**

The spies fly again to Zurich, and employ their voice jet cycles. As they approach the purported FTF headquarters they hide their cycles about three blocks away. It is nighttime.

"It will be safer for us if we approach from the rooftops," says Sam.

"Right!" says Alex and Clover as all three bungee to the top of the buildings and start to work their way toward the FTF headquarters.

Soon they are on top of the building next to FTF headquarters, and they peer over the ledge. There is a man with a machine gun guarding each side of the building, which is just a village house. There are also two men with machine guns on the rooftop.

"How do we get in?" asks Alex.

"We're not! We will use our drill go-go boots to come in right under the floor, and listen. We can then use our x-ray contacts to see any info we need," says Sam.

The girls quietly start to drill about one block from the FTF headquarters, using their compowders to keep them on course. Soon they are only inches below the wooden floor listening in with their barrette listening devices.

"We have proven the destructive power of our plan! It is now time for our Master Plan! We will plant 15 boxes of dynamite here!" says the head of the group. "It should trigger a major earthquake, wrecking havoc on the USA! Alert our team now!"

"Yes sir!"

"Quick, Alex!" whispers Sam, "Use the contacts to find out their target!"

Alex does. She exclaims excitedly, "OMIGOSH!"

Clover and Sam say, "SHHHHH!"

Alex quickly lowers her voice, "Sorry! But the target is the San Adreas fault, right by San Francisco!"

From above, the gals hear, "Did you hear something?" the head of the group asks.

"I thought I heard a voice!" says a henchman.

"Quickly! Search the premises and surrounding area! Destroy anyone who is not one of us!"

"Yes, sir!"

"As for me, it is time for me to eliminate our prisoner! Esteban! Come with me!"

"Yes, sir!"

Alex sees the real Esteban Ocello follow the head of FTF. She whispers, "They're off to kill Dr. Terran!"

"We've got to stop them! Alex! Guide my drilling with your contacts! They should lead us to Dr. Terran!" whispers Sam.

"Right, Sammy!"

"What do we do to stop them?" whispers Clover.

"I'll drill the floor underneath them! You and Alex will have to incapacitate them!" whispers Sam.

The leader and Esteban exit the back of the house and go toward a small shed. Sam has followed underground with the drill go-go boots. Soon the FTF twosome enters the shed. Dr. Terran is blindfolded and chained to the wall on his knees.

"Esteban! You use the camera! I will cut off his head as a warning to anyone who tries to stop us!"

"Yes, sir!"

Sam quickly drills right under the leader's feet. Soon he is falling through the floor!

"Take that!" says Clover as she quickly knocks him out.

Esteban turns to alert the guards, and runs toward the door of the shed, but Alex uses her bungee belt magnetic heart as a projectile aiming at his head, and fires. She scores a direct hit, and Esteban is knocked out! Quickly the girls hit their WOOHP distress buttons, and handcuff Esteban and the FTF leader.

Sam walks over to Dr. Terran and removes his blindfold.

"Am I dreaming? Who are you girls?"

Sam says, as she lasers his cuffs and chains, "We're from WOOHP. We were supposed to met you in Tennessee."

As the final shackle falls, Dr. Terran embraces Sam saying, "Thank you!"


	6. Chapter 6 If You Go To San Francisco, B...

**Chapter 6 – If You Go To San Francisco Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair**

WOOHP security has arrived and is cleaning up the cell.

Jerry says, "Another excellent job, ladies!" But the FTF leader is quietly smug.

"You may have captured me, and my headquarters, but you'll be too late to stop the next quake, so I still win!"

"Jerry! We have to get to the San Adreas fault in San Francisco! That's his next target!" cries Alex in alarm.

"Oh, my. You'll really need speed! I'm afraid we'll have to employ the WOOHP missile to get you there on time!" Soon the missile is overhead, vacuuming the girls into it. The girls know that the target zone is right by the Golden Gate Bridge, thanks to Alex and her x-ray contacts.

In a matter of 15 minutes, the girls are unceremoniously dumped on the beach in San Francisco. "Whoooaaaa."

"Ok, girls! Let's jet pack backpack over to the fault line!" says Sam.

"Right, Sammy!" responds Alex and Clover.

The San Francisco cell of FTF has received their orders. They are transporting 15 boxes of dynamite to the designated location.

"Deploy the Worm," says the cell leader.

"Worm deployed, sir!" says a henchman.

"Good! Now drill us down to the fragile point of the fault!"

"Yes, sir!" And the FTF squad starts drilling toward the target for their explosives.

"And if we fall short, detonate the dynamite immediately! It will be our contribution to the cause!"

Sam, Alex, and Clover arrive on the scene, just as the Worm starts tunneling.

"Let's laser the Worm and disable it!" says Clover.

"No, Clover! Even if they explode the dynamite at the depth they are at, they can still trigger a pretty devastating earthquake! We must follow them down, and disarm the dynamite without them knowing it!" says Sam.

"Do you really think they would blow themselves up, Sammy?" asks Alex.

"I don't know, but I don't want to find out either!"

"Good point, Sam," says Clover.

The girls decide to hitch a ride on the back of the Worm, unseen.

"This is the ONLY way to travel!" whispers Clover.

Soon the people in the Worm arrive at their destination – a magma chamber. They start to unload the dynamite. The spies quietly crawl to the top of the Worm to remain unseen.

In five minutes the dynamite is placed. The leader attaches a timing device, set to go off in 15 minutes, allowing the Worm time to get to relative safety. The FTF cell reenters the Worm, turn it around and head for the surface.

The spies bungee down from the top of the Worm, and head straight for the detonator.

"All we need to do is disconnect the hot wire!" says Sam, as she examines the device.

"Well, Sammy! What are you waiting for?" asks Clover anxiously.

"I want to make sure that I pull the right wire! If I choose the wrong one, we're ashes!"

Alex says, "Take your time, Sam. We have 12 more minutes!"

Sam studies the device. It appears that the green wire is the hot wire, and the red is the ground. To make sure, she traces the wires to the battery and the boxes. Five minutes left.

Sam slowly walks back to the detonator and picks it up. She slowly pulls the green wire, and closes her eyes; Alex and Clover flinch.

Nothing happens!

"YOU DID IT SAMMY!" exclaims Alex as she hugs her around the neck.

"YOU WERE GREAT, SAM!" exclaims Clover as she also hugs her around the neck.

Sam is drenched in sweat. "Thanks, guys. I wasn't exactly 100 percent sure I was right! I was about 90 percent sure!"

After taking a break for about one minute, Sam says, "Let's get those worms in that Worm!"

"Right!" says Clover and Alex as all three girls fire up their jet boots and start flying up the tunnel. When they see the light of day, the girls decide to walk carefully out, until they can locate the Worm.

On the surface, they see the Worm's tracks. They activate their jet pack backpacks and follow them.

About 2 miles away, the Worm awaits the explosion, but the time passes without one.

"The detonator must have failed! Quickly! Turn the Worm around, we must activate the dynamite manually!" says the leader. The crew follows the orders with blank expressions on their face. They know this is a one-way trip.

But as they begin to turn, the Worm loses one track, and then another. It can't move! Within seconds, a hole is being lasered into the top of the Worm as the spies go in to clean out the cell.

There are only five people in the Worm, and they are unarmed.

"Let's clean 'em up!" says Sam as she jet boots into the Worm. She immediately turns off her boots just as she hits one of the henchmen. He goes flying into the Worm's metal wall, and is in La La Land.

"Right behind you, Sam!" says Clover, as she uses her laser lipstick to cause a piece of equipment to fall on three of the henchmen, pinning them helplessly.

"I've got 'Mr. Big'!" says Alex, as she smacks him with a roundhouse kick. He is knocked out, face down.

"Now let's see who this guy really is!" says Alex, as she turns he on his back. She gasps, "It's Cal! Cal the Luge racer!"

Soon WOOHP is taking all five henchmen into custody.

Jerry is explaining about Cal.

"You see, ladies, Cal used his status as a World Class Street Luge competitor to get free transportation to potential quake cites. He would then hook up with a local cell, and carry out their nefarious scheme."

"That's right! The prior week's exhibition was in Nashville!" exclaims Alex.

"Yes, Alex. While he was there he hooked up with the local cell and started the earthquake. Esteban Ocello was visiting the local cell, delivering the dynamite. When Dr. Terran showed up, the local cell captured him and ransacked his field lab. You arrived on the scene approximately 30 minutes after they had done this. When they spotted you, they waited until you deployed the RATVAT, before trashing your jet/copter. They wanted to remove all traces of their presence using bleach, but you got back too quickly, so they had to leave in a hurry."

"But Jerry, why did they want to cause a major quake in the USA?" asks Clover.

"Because they wanted to instill terror in all the US citizens. They felt that if they could trigger earthquakes whenever they wanted, wherever they wanted, the US citizens would react like Spain's and appease them by giving in to their demands."

"But with WOOHP capturing the dynamite cache, and the headquarters, we shouldn't have to worry about them anymore, do we Jerry?" asks Sam.

"Well, Sam, that's not entirely true. They have been stopped for now, but dynamite is relatively easy to obtained, and there are other FTF cells. We just have to monitor their activity very closely. The important capture was the Worm. Without a device to get them down to the actual fault line, their attacks cannot take place."

"Thank goodness!" says Sam.

The tone of the meeting changes from formal to friendly.

"By the way, Alex. Good luck tomorrow in the Street Luge!" says Jerry with a smile.

"Thanks, Jerry! I'll give it my best!"

"We'll be rooting her on!" says Clover with an affirmative nod from Sam.


	7. Chapter 7 The Race

**Chapter 7 – The Race**

It's Friday, and Alex is getting ready for the Finals of the Street Luge. Seeing her time was the fastest of all the preliminary times, she gets to choose her starting position.

"I'll take position 8," she says.

Sam and Clover are a bit surprised. "Why position 8, Alex? Isn't position 1 the 'pole position'?" asks Clover.

"That may be true, Clover. But on this track, position 8 gets into the first turn the quickest. If I can grab the lead there, I can run MY race!"

Alex starts in position 8. With Cal out of the race, there are only seven competitors in the Finals.

The flag is dropped, and they are off! Alex does get into corner number one first, and has a slight lead over Cecil. Cecil purposely bumps Alex, forcing her on the grass, slowing her down, as he passes. Alex quickly recovers, but is now third coming out of turn two. She quickly moves into second and is right on the Cecil's tail. It appears that she is biding her time. She is very close to Cecil as they come out of turn three, but she is not passing him. Cecil believes he has her intimidated. But just as they both get to the apex of turn four, Alex slingshots past Cecil in the home stretch, and beats him by a half a luge length!

"She WON! She WON!" says Clover and Sam together as they hug one another. They quickly go down to the Winner's Circle.

"You did it! You won!" says Sam as she hugs a very happy Alex.

"Great win, girlfriend!" says Clover as she hugs Alex.

Alex stands on the podium and receives her first place trophy. Cecil came in second and Tom third. But the reviewing committee saw Cecil's purposeful bumping of Alex, and disqualifies him. Tom moves up to second, Arnie takes third.

Tom congratulates Alex. "Nice run! Especially nice recovery from that bump!"

Alex blushes. Tom is a hottie! "Thanks Tom. You did well yourself!"

A disgruntled Cecil says to Tom, "How can you congratulate her? You were beaten by a GIRL!"

Tom responds, "What difference does that make? She followed the same rules everyone else did. At least she didn't try to force anyone off the track like YOU did. She ran a clean, fair, skillful race! I'll always congratulate someone who beats me while doing that!" Cecil lowers his head and slinks away, mumbling to himself.

Tom then addresses Alex. "There is a dance in about half an hour, celebrating the OTW games. Would you do me the honor of joining me?"

Alex glances at Sam and Clover, who both smile reassuringly at her. "Sure! I'd be happy to go with you! Can my friends come too?"

"Why not?", Tom says as he smiles at Sam and Clover. "They're welcome at the dance too!"

"What do you gals, say?" asks Alex.

"Sure!" says Clover.

"It should be fun!" says Sam.

And the foursome goes to the OTW dance for an enjoyable evening.


End file.
